Card-perforating machine



.1. H. GAULT CARD PERFORAT ING MACHINE Nov. 6, 1923.

Filed April 1'7, 1.922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTUR Nov. 6, 1923.

J. H. GAULT CARD PERFORATING MACHINE Filed April 17 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTUF? Nov. 6, 1923. 1,472,829

J. H. GAULT CARD PERFORATING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1922 3 SheetS-Sheet5 INVENTQR fa/MM 44M Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

JAMES H. GAULT, or PHILADELPHIA, rnmrsynvmm.

CARD-PERFORATING MACHINE.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 553,858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. GAULT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCard-Perforating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to machines for making a plurality of perforationsin a card or other blank and is a preferable embodiment of theprinciples of my former invention as set forth in my application No.387,596, filed June 9, 1920 and at present pending. The embodimentherein set forth embraces the same principles but possesses many new andingenious structural features which experiment and investigation haveshown to be of great practical and economical value by simplifyingconstruction and operation and increasing accessibility of parts. It isthese structural improvements together with certain other originalfeatures correlated with them that I desire to protect.

Specifically the objects of the present invention are: to provide meansfor connecting the magnets armatures, levers and keys in such a way asto allow for a compact and accessible design of machine, to providemeans for mounting each gang of magnets in a separate sliding drawer sothat it may be removed from the machine in the easiest possible manner,thus greatly promoting accessibility, to provide certain peculiaritiesof electric wiring correlated with the afore mentioned improvements, toprovide means for supporting the levers so that they may remain inposition when their controlling magnets are removed from the machine, toprovide means for simply and easily reconnecting levers and armatureswhen magnets are returned to machine after removal, to provide means foreasily removing intact the entire wiring system from the main body ofthe machine when desirable, thus making repairs very easy as well asforming a very economical original design, to provide means for shiftingthe control from any given magnet to any other magnet or magnets, toprovide means for rendering any magnet or magnets inoperative, toprovide means for withdrawing the keys from the locking position aftereach perforation.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view of the drawercontaining a complete group of magnets, said drawer being shown partlywithdrawn out of the normal position in its slide or support. Thesethree views fully illustrate in detail the method of grouping and wiringthe magnets as well as that of supporting the levers. Figure 6 andFigure 7 are a front and edge elevation, respectively, of the grid framefor withdrawing the keys to unlock the punchers after each perforation.Figure 8 shows a locking key, its lever connecting rod and controllingmagnet and illustrates the action of connecting or threading the leverthrough the annature. Figure 9 shows on a larger scale one of the plugsfor completing the circuit on the switch board. Figure 10 also on alarger scale shows a special form of plug which under certainrequirements 7 1s useful for jumping the control from one magnet toanother. Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsthroughout the different figures of the drawing.

In Fi re 1 the punch head 1 supports the gang 0 punchers 2, togetherwith the looking keys 3, said keys being controlled throu h the mediumof key rods 4 and levers 5 %y the magnets 7, the circular headed end ofeach lever 5 fitting easily into a suitable slot or eye in itsparticular armature 6. These magnets are mounted in groups or gangs indrawers 8, which are slidable in grooves formed in the standards 9 whichsupport them, as is shown in Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5.Each group of magnets being connected with and controlling the keys ofits particular horizontal layer of keys 3, as illustrated. The foremostupper compartment as shown in Figure 1 contains the magnets controllingthe upper layer of keys 3, while the foremost lower compartmentvertically beneath controls the lowest layer of keys. The second upperdrawer 8 holds the magnets controlling the'second highest row of keys 3,and the drawer vertically beneath it contains the magnet controlling thesecond lowest layer of keys 3, and so on back for the succeeding groupsof magnets, the upper row of roups converging towards the lower row. hestep formed side beams 10, Figure 2, each step of which supports a stanard 9, shows this convergence towards the rear of the machine, thevertical distance of each step being equal to the distance between anytwo successive layers of keys 3. Bfy this plan of construction theadvantage 0 having each set of levers 5 a duplicate of every other setis secured, the danger of any lever interfering with the rod controlledby any other lever is avoided, and compactness of design is alsoobtained. In Figure 2 it is-seen that the entire system of magnets issupported upon a pair of parallel beams 10 secured at the front to thepunching ress 33 and at the rear resting on a pair of legs 34, thisconstruction allowing perfect accessibility to the drawers 8 and plentyof space to remove them from the machine.

In Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5 is shown a method of mounting thelevers 5 on the lever supports 11 which extend across, between and aresecured to each corresponding pair of standards 9. The slots between theprojecting guides on 11 being suitably spaced to bring the levers 5 inalignment with the slots or eyes in the armature 6, the pivots 12 in theguides being suitabl located so that all the various lengthed evers inthe set have the same throw, while the guides are of suflicientdimensions to maintain the levers in correct alignment.

In Figure 3 is also shown the method of wiring the magnets in theircontaining drawers, so that the latter may be readily withdrawn from themachine. Each set of magnets is mounted on the division of itscompartment which separates it from the other compartments. Thisdivision should be a panel 14 of wood or other non-conductin materialheld in a metal frame 13, one en of the winding of each magnet isconnected to this conducting frame as shown in Figure 3, and the otherend carried over to and connected with a contact piece or terminal 15,located in a hole in one side 16 of the drawer 8. This side 16 must beof non-conducting material and, contains as many holes, each fitted withelectrical contact means 15 as there are magnets in the drawer. One endof the winding of a magnet is connected to each contact 15 When thedrawer 8 is completely home in its normal position in the ways ofstandards 9, the contact holes 15 are exactly in line with a similar setof contact holes 15, in a non-conducting panel 17 loosely fitted inrecesses in standards 9, so that contact plugs as shown in Figures 9 and10 enlarged, may be inserted through these contact holes to close acircuit through them. The contact nevasae holes 15 in panels 17 areconnected each with a conducting wire, said wires passing along theinside of said panel to the middle of the side or cover 18 of the ke rodspace where they are twisted together into a cable and attached to 18and carried horizontally rearward along the middle of 18 until theyreach and are properly distributed among the individuals of the groupsof binding posts 19 at the rear of the machine. These anels 17 are heldloosely in position, (a fioating fit), by cleats 22 or other suitablemeans, the end and side looseness in fit being to allow either a air ofremovable dowel pins or the plugs themselves to bring the holes 15 and15 into alignment, if necessary.

If it is desired to remove the wiring system intact from the machine thepanels17, side 18 and post groups 19 may all be held in their properrelative positions during and after removal b means of an auxiliaryframe or cradle and after the necessary disconnections, may be removedas a whole from the machine, when the intact wiring s stem will be inplain view and very accessible condition. I

Figure 6 and Figure 7 show the grid device for withdrawing the keys 3from the locking position. It is also shown in its proper position, inFigure 1, located on the back of the punch head 1, where it is capableof oscillating up and down in its inclined position. This deviceconsists of a frame 20 supporting in proper position a series ofserrated bars; each of these bars 21 acts on two adjacent vertical rowsof keys. 3, each key having a recess milled half way through it so thatthere is a head or edge on the key that may engage with one of theinclined planes or serrated faces on the bars 21. When the keys 3 are intheir normal or unlocked position the grid has no effect on them, butwhen pushed forward into the locked position, the edge of the recess inthe key is ushed up against the lower face of one of the inclined planesor serrations on the bar 21, so that when the frame 20 next carries downthe bar the serration acting on the edge of the key head withdraws thekeys to the unlocked position.

The grid frame 20 and the plate 23, Figure 1, for restoring the punches2 to their normal position are operated simultaneously through themedium of the slide 24, Figure 2, which is actuated through an eccentricor cam 25 and connecting rod 26 mounted on the crank shaft 27, driven bya pulley 28. This same crank shaft, by means of a connecting rod 36,oscillates the ram 29 up and down in the ways 30 to carry the die 31 upagainst the punches to perforate the cards.

When it is desired to operate all the magnets, plugs, Figure 9, must beplaced in each of the holes 15, thus bridging the space between 15- and15 and continuing the circuit between the wiring in the drawers 8 and.

the part of the circuit outside the compartment. If it is desired toleave any magnet or number of magnets inoperative, the plugscorresponding to these magnets must be withdrawn from the machine. Theseplugs may be either solid or made of tubing, or drawn from thin sheetmetal and be fitted with non-conducting handles as indicated in Figure9.

When it is desired to jump the circuit normally controlling any givenmagnet to any other magnet or magnets, two or more plugs are connectedby flexible conductors as illustrated by 32, Figure 1. Two or more plugsthus connected by flexible conductors are called jumpers. If it isdesired in any given case to cut out the magnet normally controlled byany given hole 15 While jumping its regularly controlling circuit toother magnets, the jumper plug placed in the given hole should not beinserted in 15 deep enough to reach through to 15. If it is desired toshift the control from any hole 15 to another hole or holes so that thehole shifted from shall be the sole control and the circuits normallycontrolling the holes jumped to, shall be cut off, then the plugs of thejumper inserted in the holes jumped to should be of the special formshown in Figur 10, wher the plug is of such form as to be insulatedwhere it makes contact with 15 as it passes through to 15, but makeselectrical contact with the latter and carries the current through thecenter of the insulated part from the flexible conductor, as indicated.

When it is necessary for any reason to remove any gang or group ofmagnets from the machine, all that is necessary is to pull out all ofits corresponding plugs a sulficient distance to clear its side 16, andthen to remove it from the machine like a vertical drawer. To replace itall of the armatures 6 should be pushed into their magnets as far asthey will go. while all the corre sponding levers 5 should be pushedback to their normal (vertical) position, so that when the drawer isreplaced the armatures and levers will clear each other durin themovement: then each lever 5 is lifted om its pivot 12, carried downunder its particular armature 6. inserted in the eye or slot of thearmature, as shown in Figure 8, and replaced on its pivot. The ends ofdrawers 8 should be easily removable to allow access for thisre-connection of armatures and levers.

In the present embodiment of my invention no means of automaticallyfeeding either the master or blank cards is indicated, nor is there anyprovision here shown for the controlling contact points which are actedupon at the rear of the machine b the master cards, as the improvementswish to protect do not involve any of these features and theirintroduction was not necessary to illustrate'these improvements. It isevident that the machine as shown is capable of having applied to iteither the feeding and contact means shown in m original inventionhereinbefore mentione or in fact, any of the numerous card-feedin andcontact-making means now in genera use which may vary according to theparticular phase of the art in which the machine is to be employed. Incases where contact means are of suitable type and where it is notdesired to frequently change from one contactmeans to another, thebinding posts 19 may be omitted, the wires passing through and beingheld directly in the contact device.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:I

1. In a card punching machine the combination of a gang of punches andcooperating perforating mechanism, keys for looking the punches, aplurality of groups of electro-magnets, each group being speciallymounted in a removable drawer, a plurality of similar groups of levers,means for mounting and pivoting said levers, a plurality of sets ofconnecting rods, each set corresponding to a group of levers and keys,means for easily connecting said levers to armatures of said magnets,electric wlring means specially adapted for easy removal of magnets, allsubstantially as specified.

2. In a card punching machine the combination of a gang of punches andcooperating perforating mechanism, means for individually locking saidpunches in operative condition, a plurality of groups of electroma etsfor actuating the locking means, eac group of magnets being mounted in aremovable drawer suitably supported in a bay or compartment, means forgrouping said bays or compartments in the most compact and accessibleform, electric circuit means adapted to easy removal or insertion ofmagnet-holding drawers, means for shift ing or jumping the control ofany magnet from one circuit to any other circuit, means for cutting outor rendering any magnet or magnets inoperative, all substantially asdescribed.

3. In a card punching machine, the combination of a gang of punches, aplurality of keys for locking the punches in operative conditionindividually, a plurality of groups of levers, each group being similarto every, other group, a plurality of sets of connecting rods, the rodsof each set being of equal length but difiering from the length of anyother set, a plurality of roups of electromagnets each so mounted andarranged as to be easily withdrawn from the machine, means forsupporting said groups so as to allow their easy removal, means forsupporting the levers so they may remain in position when theircontrolling magnets are removed, means for easily connecting the leverswith the magnets, electric wiring means conforming to the condition ofeasy removal of the magnets from the machine, means for unlockingpunches, all substantially as specified.

4. In a card punching machine, the combination of a gang of punches withcooperating punching mechanism, means for looking the punches, means forunlocking the punches, a plurality of similar groups of magnets foractuating the locking means, means for easily removing the groups ofmagnets, means for supporting and arranging the groups of magnets in themost compact and accessible form, electric wiring means suitable for thequick and easy .removal of groups of magnets, means for shifting orjumping the control of any magnet from one circuit to another, means foradding one or more magnets to any circuit, means for rendering anymagnet or magnets inoperative, all substantially as described.

5. In a card perforating machine the combination of a. gang of punches,a plurality of keys for locking the punches in operative conditionindividually, a plurality of groups of levers, each group being similarto every other group, a. plurality of sets of connecting rods, the rodsof any set bein all of the same length, but the lengths of t e varioussets being different from each other, a plurality of groups ofelectro-magnets, each group being mounted removably in a separate bay orcompartment, standards supporting saidgroups in proper operativeposition and in such manner as to allow their easy removal from themachine, means for supporting and pivoting levers so that they mayremain undisturbed in operative position when their controlling magnetsare removed, means for reconnecting the levers with their armatures whenthe magnets are returned, electric wiring means conforming to conditionof easy removal of ma nets, means for supporting the standar s andentire electric system between the punching head and rear support, meansfor withdrawing the keys from a locking position, means for cutting outor rendering inoperative any magnet or a. group of magnets, means forjumping or shifting a circuit from any given magnet to an other magnet,means for removing the entire wiring system intact from the machine, allsubstantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES H. GAULT.

